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Photosynthesis

explanatory Essay
605 words
605 words
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Photosynthesis

Green plants are producers. This means that they can survive without

animals! They can make lots of organic chemicals from a few simple

inorganic chemicals. They need simple things like carbon dioxide and

water and can make complex things like sugar, starch, fat, and

proteins.

Plants get their nutrients from the environment. Carbon dioxide comes

from the air (unless they are aquatic plants, in which case they get

it from the water surrounding them). They get water from the soil.

They also need other inorganic nutrients like nitrate, sulphate and

phosphate. A few plants cannot get nitrate out of the soil so they

have to eat animals to get the nitrogen which they must have for

growth.

Animals are consumers; they cannot carry out photosynthesis. This

means that they have to eat other things to get the carbohydrates,

fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals which they need.

When plants are in the sunlight they can make a sugar called glucose.

This is slightly different from the sugar (sucrose) which you put into

your tea. Glucose contains three chemical elements:

* Carbon

* Hydrogen

* Oxygen

All the carbon needed for photosynthesis comes from carbon dioxide.

All the hydrogen comes from water.

When plants use carbon dioxide and water to make glucose there is a

lot of oxygen left over. Here is a word equation:

[IMAGE] Light

Carbon Dioxide + Water Glucose + Oxygen

Chlorophyll

Carbon dioxide and water are inorganic chemicals, whereas glucose is

an organic chemical. Plants need energy to convert carbon dioxide and

water into glucose; this energy comes from sunlight. Plants can...

... middle of paper ...

... also extract magnesium from the soil if

they are going to grow properly.

Nitrate, sulphate, phosphate and magnesium are called mineral salts.

Here is a summary of the most important information on photosynthesis:

Photosynthesis requires:

* carbon dioxide,

* water,

* light energy,

* chlorophyll.

Photosynthesis produces:

* glucose,

* waste oxygen.

Photosynthesis is the conversion of:

* light energy into,

* chemical energy.

Photosynthesis is essential for:

* growth.

Photosynthesis takes place in:

* leaves !!!!!

Photosynthesisis the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into a

sugar called glucose using sunlight energy. Oxygen is produced as a

waste product.

Chlorophyllis the green chemical needed by plants for this process.

In this essay, the author

  • Explains that green plants are producers. they can make lots of organic chemicals from a few simple inorganic chemicals and need simple things like carbon dioxide and water.
  • Explains that plants get water from the soil and other inorganic nutrients like nitrate, sulphate, and phosphate. animals are consumers; they cannot carry out photosynthesis.
  • Explains that plants can make a sugar called glucose, which is slightly different from the sugar (sucrose) which you put into your tea.
  • Explains that when plants use carbon dioxide and water to make glucose, there is a lot of oxygen left over.
  • Explains how light energy is trapped by a green chemical called chlorophyll and converted into chemical energy in photosynthesis. when animals and plants respire, glucose can be converted to other forms of energy.
  • Explains that plants cannot store up lots of glucose, so they convert the extra glucose into starch, which can be stored in leaves or other parts of the plant.
  • Explains that photosynthesis results in an increase in biomass; there is more carbohydrate in the plant; they can turn some of the glucose into fat or protein.
  • Explains that fats contain three elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. plants cannot make protein from pure carbohydrate because proteins contain nitrogen and sulphur.
  • Explains that plants need phosphate from the soil to make their dna. chlorophyll contains five elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and magnesium.
  • Explains that photosynthesis requires carbon dioxide, water, light energy, chlorophyll, glucose, and waste oxygen.
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